1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to absorptive devices. More particularly, it relates to devices used to absorb and retain body fluids such as diapers (especially disposable diapers), sanitary napkins, incontinent pads, surgical dressings, and the like.
2. Description of Background Art
Devices used to absorb body fluids are common items of commerce. For example, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, and the like, having a body contacting surface, an absorbent core, and a generally impervious backsheet are well known to modern consumers.
One area in which research has been concentrated is that of the body contacting surface of the absorptive device. This surface must be soft to the touch, non-irritating to skin, and permeable to body fluids to such an extent that such fluids may rapidly pass therethrough into the absorbent core of the device. A variety of body contacting surfaces have been proposed. For example, Butterworth et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,410, issued Mar. 10, 1978, have suggested that a foamed melt of thermoplastic polymer can be extruded and then hot drawn to molecularly orient the resulting fibers to produce a body contacting surface of molecularly oriented fiber elements having a mean denier of not greater than 3 and a bulk density generally about 0.05 to about 0.15 g/cc. Malaney, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,269 issued Oct. 3, 1972 has suggested that a body contacting sheet can be made from non-absorbent fibers of from about 1 to about 15 denier, preferably from about 1.25 to about 3 denier, which have been formed into a web, bonded into a nonwoven fabric with conventional binder material, and then bulked in a conventional mechanical lofting apparatus.